Chapter 529: Good Meals Are Not Afraid of Waiting

First, they insulted the Seven Sons of Southern Hong; then, they insulted the Grand Assembly of the Seven Sons; finally, they pointed their spear directly at a Sect Master from one of the sects.

If I were to just sit here quietly.

The Daozi of Bihai Sect did not believe the Yunhe Sect would be willing to aid such a cowardly sect to confront two dragon palaces of such immense power.

The changes in expression on the faces of the Yunhe Sect elders earlier also showed that this was not her worrying for no reason.

These people were truly beginning to question the current strength of the Seven Sons of Southern Hong, and even carried a hint of disdain toward Southern Hong itself.

Moreover, the situation was not limited to this; one must remember that the Dragon Consort's birthday banquet gathered nearly half the forces of Western Hong. Once this matter spread... the consequences would be unimaginable.

Furthermore, this sea snake demon was obviously fabricating lies, doing its utmost to belittle.

Setting aside others for now.

The Daozi of Bihai Sect had a simple thought: she did not intend to expose her identity, but she had to prove to the cultivators of the Yunhe Sect that the current strength of the Seven Sons of Southern Hong, and the attitude of this great sect of seven sons, were not as weak and bullyable as others imagined.

Thus, she used the excuse of standing up for Tixian Sect, hoping to suppress the arrogance of this great sea snake demon.

But what she did not expect was that this excuse, which was completely normal in Southern Hong, was instantly noticed as suspicious in Western Hong.

The Daozi of Bihai Sect felt the gazes from around her grow colder; whether demons or cultivators, even those who had previously been sniping at each other, now unconsciously adopted a united front against outsiders.

Perhaps most factions did not harbor any grudge against the Seven Sons of Southern Hong, and did not even have a clear concept of them.

But this kind of xenophobic psychology often stems from instinct, without reason.

She suddenly became the only "outsider" in the entire hall.

"Um..." The Daozi of Yunhe Sect wanted to say something, but was quietly tugged by the sleeve by an elder beside her. In this situation, if one did not wish to become the target of everyone's arrows, it was best to firmly remember one's identity as a force of Western Hong and not stand on the wrong side.

Moreover, the mighty Seven Sons of Southern Hong, with six giants at the Dao Integration realm presiding over them, were difficult to find opponents for throughout all of Western Hong, except for the Long Gong. If they could not handle such a scene, it would mean their pride had been completely lost; how would they dare to follow the other party to oppose the Long Gong? That would be pure suicide.

"..."

The Daozi of Bihai Sect slowly scanned the surroundings; her identity had already been half-exposed, and now she found herself in a predicament where she could neither advance nor retreat.

This battle could only be won, not lost!

By all rights, as a Daozi, where would she fear a sea snake demon whose cultivation was merely equivalent to two cities?

But at this moment, that great sea snake demon did not even look at the blood drop hanging in the air; instead, it leisurely stepped back two paces.

Just then, within the entire hall, many figures were already eager to stand up.

These were great demon clans no less than Bihai Sect; those who came to the banquet were all elites of their clans, each proud and arrogant. Seeing a barbarian, likely from Southern Hong, acting so recklessly here, they had long been unable to suppress the killing intent in their hearts.

"Since you, Daoist friend, wish to stand up for the wronged, then this one would actually..."

A lean, black old demon whose true form was unrecognizable slowly tried to stand up.

However, before it finished speaking, under the sweeping gaze of the Bai Hu in the main seat, it silently sat back down.

"I suspect you are not just a cultivator from Southern Hong?"

The mighty Bai Hu demon stood up, stepping over the jade table. The moment its tall figure straightened, a massive shadow instantly covered the cloud-patterned floor tiles ahead, carrying a deep sense of oppression that made the entire hall fall silent.

The beauties dancing in the hall also stood stunned together, their Bai Xi shoulders and backs pressed tightly, momentarily at a loss.

The face of the Daozi of Yunhe Sect instantly became much uglier.

The power behind this Bai Hu, perhaps not comparable to the Seven Sons in Southern Hong, was already an extremely terrifying demon force in the fragmented Western Hong; among those present, the only one who could possibly match it was likely the coldly seated woman.

The Bai Hu demon seemed to enjoy this feeling.

It paced forward leisurely; even when passing the Daozi of Bihai Sect, it did not spare the other a single glance, walking straight to the hall door with eyes fixed ahead, blocking the retreat, and then suddenly turning its head back!

With ferocity in its hideous tiger eyes that could captivate the soul, it said in a low voice: "Do you think I would give you a chance to show off your power here?"

This woman was certainly no ordinary cultivator; even if she concealed herself well, the scent of someone who had long held a high position could not be covered up no matter what.

This was likely a Daozi, and it was highly probable she came from one of the sects among the Seven Sons of Southern Hong.

Trying to hide her identity and catch other forces off guard—wasn't that thinking too much?

"..."

The Daozi of Bihai Sect's eyelid twitched; among all the demons present, if one had to say which ones she was not confident she could defeat, there should only be two.

One was that enchanting woman draped in a long green-feathered skirt, and the other was this Bai Hu before her.

Both were at the Three Cities realm, but the other's bloodline was so dense it was somewhat terrifying.

About forty percent chance of victory?

She silently estimated in her heart, her fingertips slowly reaching toward her brow.

It was enough.

As long as she could win, the matter of requesting aid could still be negotiated.

At the same time, that scarlet blood drop, wrapped in aura, quickly floated to the side of the Bai Hu demon.

No one expected that at the Dragon Consort's birthday banquet, such a spectacular scene could still be witnessed.

Truly a country bumpkin from Southern Hong, ignorant of the heavens and the earth; without knowing the background and strength of this tiger demon, relying solely on hot blood, she actually dared to issue a challenge so decisively.

To put it harshly, if she lost, it would still be fine; out of respect for the Dragon Consort, the Bai Hu might spare her life... at least she could live to walk out of the waters, and then settle the score slowly.

If, by bad luck, she accidentally won.

Do not forget, on the main seat above, there were still three clansmen guarding this Bai Hu, watching intently; their strength and cultivation were all no weaker than the Bai Hu itself.

Would the Yunhe Sect dare to meddle in this matter?

Everyone fell silent and looked toward the hall door; they saw that the mighty Bai Hu, seemingly not expecting this woman to be so tough, paused for a moment, then suddenly opened its mouth, revealing a silent laugh.

Although the act of standing at the hall door itself meant it would not let this woman walk out intact.

But what the Bai Hu demon wanted to see most was the look of fear on the other party, not this stubborn and proud expression, which seriously affected its mood.

"Good! Very good!"

It grinned wickedly, waving its claw toward that blood drop to grasp it.

The blood drop merged into the palm, as if a certain agreement had been reached.

The figure of the Bai Hu demon bent slightly; in an instant, a foul wind swept through the entire hall!

"Roar—"

Like a tiger's howl through the mountain forest, all beasts prostrate themselves.

The expressions of everyone present shifted slightly, falling silent. Even the Bihai Sect's Dao Child, the solemnity in her eyes deepened several degrees—after all, among the Nanhongqi Sect's Dao Children she was hardly outstanding. Not to mention compared to Senior Sister Hongxiu, even compared to Wei Yuanzhou she fell somewhat short.

At this moment she said no more. A long rainbow of purple and azure surged forth from between her brows, shooting straight toward the outside of the water domain!

Amid this tense and perilous atmosphere, a slightly languid voice suddenly seemed rather abrupt.

"Hey."

The youth in dark robes seated in the corner gazed at Bai Hu's back, but his thoughts clearly weren't on it. Those drifting eyes seemed to pass through the white tiger, landing on some spot before it.

The youth unhurriedly set down the wine cup in his palm. Unlike the Bihai Sect's Dao Child who had smashed hers, the faint sound still drew everyone's gaze.

The astonishment in the eyes of these demons and cultivators was no less than before—perhaps even greater.

At a time like this, just how blind must one be to dare step forward and get involved?

They observed the youth carefully.

They saw that he wore only a plain dark robe, his thin lips pressed tightly together, his countenance cool and aloof, with a trace of solitary pride lingering in his brows.

Although he likewise bore no identifying marks, no one would think he came from Nanhong like that woman.

Because whether it was the youth's languid voice or his composed, unhurried bearing, he didn't seem like an outsider at all. It was as if he knew everything happening in the room by heart, even carrying that quality the Northern Hong cultivators tried so hard to conceal yet still faintly revealed—a certain contempt for things of Western Hong.

Precisely because of this, they grew all the more curious about what he wanted to say.

"..."

The great demon Bai Hu silently turned its head, sizing up this young cultivator who sat alone in the corner.

Shen Yi calmly met its gaze, and then his words once again made everyone present change color in unison.

"You're blocking my view of the dance."

They finally knew where that youth's drifting gaze had been landing—on those trembling beauties.

What the hell... is this a time to be watching a dance?

Could it be that a battle between two powerful beings of the Three Cities realm is less important than a group of Long Gong dancing girls?!

The Bihai Sect's Dao Child frowned as she looked at the dark robe on the youth, feeling inexplicably that it looked familiar. But such long robes were everywhere, so it couldn't serve as evidence. Moreover, the person before her—whether in temperament, speech, or even the things he paid attention to—bore absolutely no resemblance to that Shen Zongzhu in her memory.

"Heh... heh..."

Bai Hu suddenly lowered its head and laughed twice.

In an instant, its massive body suddenly loomed over the slender youth. Both palms slammed down onto the tabletop, its enormous head nearly pressing close enough to touch Shen Yi. Four eyes met; its breath sprayed wantonly across the youth's Bai Xi face.

Its throat rumbled, and it let out a low sound: "So?"

The atmosphere shifted once more in an instant.

The great demon Bai Hu's fury shifted directly from the Bihai Sect's Dao Child onto this young cultivator who didn't know whether he was alive or dead.

Under the gaze of all, everyone wanted to know what other tricks this youth could possibly pull.

The next moment, beneath the tiger demon's foul breath, Shen Yi's hair loosened slightly, and the few remaining expressions on that already cool face gradually faded away.

He stared straight into those tiger pupils, then extended his hand. His slender, well-defined fingers slowly pressed down upon that ferocious tiger face.

"So, get lost."

It was clearly a tone without the slightest ripple, yet others heard boundless arrogance within it. He wasn't negotiating—he was merely issuing a command.

This lofty, condescending attitude was utterly undisguised.

But arrogance always needs something to back it up, or it only brings shame upon oneself.

Perhaps strength, perhaps background.

But as of now, this young man hadn't displayed a single one of them.

Looking at the great demon Bai Hu, on the other hand, its facial hide had begun to twitch slightly. Its eyes bulged round, vertical pupils spilling with chilling cold. Tusks protruded past its lips, saliva dripping, and within that bloody maw seemed to lurk a roar capable of tearing heaven and earth asunder.

It was truly enraged!

As if in the next moment, someone's blood would spatter on the spot.

Everyone held their breath.

"What if this venerable one says no?" The great demon Bai Hu's mouth split into an exaggerated arc.

Hearing this, a smile gradually rose on Shen Yi's face—so faint as to be barely perceptible, yet everyone could sense the mockery within. As if he had heard some absurd joke: "You... say no?"

In an instant, a tremendous boom echoed throughout the entire great hall.

The table the great demon Bai Hu had been bracing with both palms instantly collapsed. Its elbows slammed violently into the cloud-patterned floor tiles, causing even the towering Lady Yushan to tremble violently several times.

It strained with all its might to push itself up, but beneath the press of that slender palm atop its head, its mighty demon body was taut to the limit, veins bulging as if about to burst, yet it could not rise even a single inch.

Shen Yi lowered his gaze to look at this white tiger. Though he said nothing, everyone could read his meaning.

As if asking this tiger how it dared meet his eyes directly.

This scene, which completely exceeded everyone's expectations, made the entire great hall so quiet that even a single falling needle would have been clearly audible.

The Bihai Sect's Dao Child's fingertip still rested between her brows, but that long rainbow was growing ever dimmer.

She quietly swallowed.

If this youth were merely an elder pretending to be young, that would be one thing. But if he truly was as young as he appeared, then the foundation Western Hong possessed today likely already far exceeded anything the Nanhong Seven could imagine.

The remaining Western Hong cultivators, including the Yunhe Sect's Dao Child, exchanged uncertain glances.

This great demon Bai Hu hadn't even managed to force out the other's Dao weapon before being pinned dead to the ground, so much so that they couldn't determine this youth's identity at all.

Now it could be confirmed—the other party was absolutely not a cultivator from Western Hong. They simply didn't know how noble his specific identity truly was.

Just then, Shen Yi seemed to sense something and glanced slightly toward the dome.

That motion of his, which seemed about to crush the great demon Bai Hu's skull outright, paused briefly. At the moment Bai Hu was on the verge of collapse, he finally withdrew his hand at a leisurely pace.

Shen Yi straightened up, his gaze falling upon the group of dancing girls. He gave a slight nod of his chin and said: "Continue."

Immediately following, the instant Bai Hu suddenly raised its head, a pair of pitch-black long boots decisively stomped onto its face, pressing it back down.

He kept his gaze straight ahead, not even bothering to glance at the Bai Hu, and his indifferent voice drifted out lightly: "You think you're qualified to say no in front of me?"

As he spoke, that long boot casually rubbed against the Bai Hu's face.

Then, absently, he stepped right over its body.

His ink-black robe swaying, his tall figure unhurriedly walked past row after row of long tables, heading toward the seat of honor.

Such an arrogant and domineering display finally thoroughly enraged the Bai Hu's three elder kinsmen.

The three tiger demons wasted no words; as their demon bodies swelled, though in human form, they pounced out like true fierce tigers, vanishing from the spot in an instant.

"It's over…"

Everyone sighed in unison in their hearts. Today's matter had truly blown up; they could only hope the Dragon Consort would not vent her anger on the likes of them.

Yet Shen Yi acted as if he hadn't sensed any danger at all, not even his pace faltering in the slightest.

In an instant, three consecutive booms exploded once again.

The three demons who had vanished earlier were now tossed onto the ground in perfect unison, all rolling clumsily for several circles before barely stabilizing their forms.

Under the stunned gazes of everyone.

The beautiful woman in a resplendent feathered long skirt quietly stood behind Shen Yi, likewise keeping her gaze straight ahead, seemingly not caring at all about the three fierce tiger demons glaring up from the ground.

Shen Yi walked to the seat of honor and lazily settled into it.

His right arm casually draped over his knee, he looked down at the crowd from above; the contempt in those pitch-black eyes seemed to grow even more pronounced.

But the moment Yu Lan obediently walked behind him and half-knelt to massage his shoulders, this posture seemed entirely fitting.

The Glazed Azure Phoenix clan was actually willing to adopt such a servant-like bearing!

And judging by her expression, she actually seemed quite pleased, without the slightest hint of dissatisfaction.

Shen Yi poured himself another cup of fine wine, slowly swirled the wine cup, and his gaze finally fell upon the several furious yet wary great Bai Hu demons.

"If you're not convinced, bring your clansmen and come find me at the Glazed Azure Phoenix clan."

"Come anytime, and remember to bring more people."

"I'll be waiting."

The young man finally stopped hiding the contempt at the corner of his lips; after speaking briefly, his gaze returned to the Long Gong dancers.

He put away his smile: "Now, get lost."

From beginning to end, this was the only sentence Shen Yi truly wanted to say.

Holding a banquet right under someone's nose is just inconvenient.

After much difficulty finding an opportunity, and with a suitable identity to boot, in the end, just as he was about to take a bite, he was still stopped.

Fortunately, this could also be considered making the acquaintance of a decent demon faction.

Given the temperaments of these tiger demons, he believed that when they left the waters, they could give him quite a pleasant surprise.

Good food is worth the wait; let them stew for now.

But what Shen Yi was most curious about was still that Dragon Consort. She had clearly noticed this place and wanted to save those tiger demons, so why didn't she appear directly, or send someone to stop it, and instead used such a roundabout method, releasing her aura to remind him?

(End of this chapter)